Orissa collector freed by Maoists

BHUBANESWAR - Maoists Thursday released Malkangiri District Collector R. Vineel Krishna in Orissa after keeping him in captivity for eight days, officials said.

The rebels handed over Krishna to some select media persons near a village in Chitrakonda area from where he and a junior engineer were abducted Feb 16. The junior engineer was released Wednesday.

The development came as a big relief for the state authorities who were baffled after the rebels put forward a fresh set of demands Wednesday for the collector’s release.

Agreeing to one of their new demands, the Orissa government earlier Thursday rushed two mediators to the region for further negotiations with the Maoists. G. Haragopal and Dandapani Mohanty were flown in a state helicopter to Koraput.